Bill Text: NY A09520 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes that it is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny a refugee resettlement based on any criterion, method of administration, or practice that has the purpose or effect of discriminating on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, familial status, predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-16 - referred to governmental operations [A09520 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A09520-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9520

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 16, 2022
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Governmental Operations

        AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing that it
          is an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny a refugee  resettlement
          in certain instances

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative findings.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
     2  declares all of the following:
     3    a.  Under  federal  law,  a  refugee is a person who is forced to flee
     4  their country of origin due to persecution, or a  well-founded  fear  of
     5  persecution,  based  upon  their  religion, nationality, membership in a
     6  particular social group, or political opinion;
     7    b. At the end of 2020, there  were  82.4  million  forcibly  displaced
     8  people in the world, 25.9 million of which were refugees. This is double
     9  the recorded number in 2010, and the highest it has ever been;
    10    c.  Recognizing  the  importance  of  refugee resettlement, the United
    11  States created the Refugee Act of 1980;
    12    d. Since 1980, the United  States  Refugee  Resettlement  program  has
    13  saved  more  than  3.6  million  refugees, and resettled them across the
    14  country;
    15    e. New York was one of the top four states in the  country  resettling
    16  the most refugees in 2020;
    17    f.  On  September 19, 2016, the United  Nations General Assembly unan-
    18  imously adopted the New York  Declaration  for  Refugees  and  Migrants,
    19  which  reaffirms  the importance of the international refugee regime and
    20  contains a wide range of commitments to  strengthen  and  enhance  mech-
    21  anisms to protect these individuals;
    22    g.  Research from reputable sources including the Fiscal Policy Insti-
    23  tute, Urban Institute, Pew Research Center,  and  New  American  Economy
    24  find  a  positive economic and social impact of refugees across New York
    25  State;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13181-02-1
        A. 9520                             2

     1    h. Governor Kathy Hochul reaffirmed New  York  State's  commitment  to
     2  helping refugees on August 19, 2021 by welcoming those fleeing Afghanis-
     3  tan;
     4    i. The Statue of Liberty, a national monument and icon of freedom that
     5  has  been  welcoming  immigrants from across the world to New York State
     6  since 1886, states, "Give me your tired, your poor,  your huddled masses
     7  yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse  of  your  teeming  shore.
     8  Send  these,  the  homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside
     9  the golden door!"
    10    § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  296-e  to
    11  read as follows:
    12    §  296-e.  Unlawful  discriminatory practices relating to refugees. It
    13  shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the state, or any agen-
    14  cy or bureau thereof,  or  for  any  other  entity  to  deny  a  refugee
    15  resettlement anywhere within the state based on any criterion, method of
    16  administration,  or practice that has the purpose or effect of discrimi-
    17  nating on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national  origin,  reli-
    18  gion,  ethnicity,  sexual  orientation,  gender  identity or expression,
    19  military status, familial status, predisposing genetic  characteristics,
    20  disability, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence.
    21    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.